In various applications it is particularly important to measure the pulse width of an electrical or electronic pulse accurately. For example, a racon is a microwave transponder which receives a radar pulse from a ship and provides a reply signal which locates and identifies the racon. The incoming pulses may have differing amplitudes and the racon must accurately measure both the frequency and the pulse width as parameters to identify a particular radar source.
It is well known to measure the pulse width of an electronic pulse by use of a comparator which changes state when the input pulse exceeds a threshold or reference voltage. However, this method will produce inaccurate results in the event that the measured electronic pulses have a large variation in amplitude.
The present invention is directed to a method and circuit which will provide accurate measurement of the pulse width of an electrical pulse which may have a large variation in amplitude.